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UN estimates: 4.9 million children died before age five in 2024
New child mortality estimates put neonatal deaths at 2.3 million in 2024 and show slower progress since 2015.
Event / data period: 2026-03-18
Published: · Updated:
IllustrationUN agencies estimated 4.9 million under-five deaths in 2024, including 2.3 million newborn deaths.
The decline since 2000 exceeded 50%, but slowed after 2015. Estimates use national data and modelling.
Data
Official health indicators
Population, period and estimate status follow the cited source.
- Deaths before age five
- 4.9 million deaths
- 2024 · Estimate
- Newborn deaths
- 2.3 million deaths
- 2024 · Estimate
- Decline, described by the source as more than half
- 50 percent
- 2024 · Estimate
Methodology
These are 2024 estimates from the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, based on national data and modelling.
Updated: